Air Force

Inaccurate records can damage promotion chances

Janis El Shabazz Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) — If your records meet a board tomorrow, would they accurately illustrate your suitability for promotion or retention? Are your evaluations, time in service, time in grade and decorations correct? Are your professional military education records complete? Do you know what your promotion recommendation form says?

If you can’t say yes to every question, you are not managing your career, and that mistake could cost you, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

“There is no legitimate reason to be unsure about your records,” said Lt. Col. John Barlett, the AFPC officer promotions branch chief. “Not too long ago, Airmen had to physically visit the personnel center here in Texas to review their records. Now Airmen have 24/7 access from their home or office computer. Each Airman is ultimately responsible for ensuring their records are accurate and up-to-date.”

In 2012, the Air Force began using electronic records for officer promotion boards and senior NCO evaluation boards.

Since this shift to all electronic records, Airmen can access their records on myPers through the Personnel Records Display Application. PRDA affords members the opportunity to view their records and to see which items will meet upcoming boards. Airmen who routinely review and update their records online will benefit, Barlett said.

“Your records tell retention boards why you are a valuable military member and tell promotion boards why you’re ready for the additional responsibility that comes with the next grade,” Barlett said. “In addition, developmental education and command opportunities are based on your records. If you don’t keep them updated, you may be telling future boards that your career doesn’t matter to you.”

Enlisted members can also go into myPers and access PRDA to see which EPRs and decorations were reviewed by evaluation boards.

The first electronic boards process for officers was during the July 2012 central selection boards and the first electronic enlisted evaluation board was the June 2013 senior NCO supplemental board.

Following a board release, officers can securely access the complete record of performance reviewed by board members, as well as their officer selection brief, copies of any letters they submitted, and their most recent promotion recommendation form.

PRFs and retention recommendation forms will be accessible in PRDA once the board results have been released. Because access to PRDA is based on identity, documents like the PRF and RRFs are available only to the member, Barlett said.

“Identity-based access provides an added layer of security to protect your information while still providing you an opportunity to review the documents far easier than when they were only available in hard copy,” he said.

Members can also review their as-is board-related record on the myPers website and once a board has been released, they simply log on to the site and select “board” under “available category” to view the record as it met a particular board. Listings are organized by applicable board identification.

To access enlisted record reviews, go to myPers, scroll down to the “I would like to” section and select “view my records.” Click the link and follow instructions to access PRDA.

Airmen who need to make record corrections should contact their local military personnel section.

“The move to online records not only makes the process of creating boards easier, but, it also provides the added ability for all Airmen to view their personnel documents in a user-friendly form anytime and anywhere they choose,” Barlett said.

For more information about records access and other personnel issues, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil.

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